It all started with a birthday. On June 8, my mom had her birthday, and I insisted that she spend it doing something to celebrate HER. She spends way too much time working hard and serving other people, that I was excited for her to spend a day thinking about herself. When I asked what her plan for the day was, she responded, “You know, I really would like to give myself a gift this year.” Pleasantly surprised, I excitedly asked what her big gift idea was for herself. She replied, “I am going to put $100 in your bank account. Go into your village, and find someone to bless. Ask the Lord who it should be. This is the only thing I want for my birthday.”
I told my team about this gift, and we started scheming together how we could put this money to good use. Part of our ministry this month has been doing door to door ministry, evangelizing to people in their homes and telling them about Jesus. We have been able to meet with many people and families, hear their needs, and pray for God’s provision. One lady that we met along the way was in desperate need of a mattress. She had been praying for God to provide one for her, and she is the only Christian in her household. Because of her sweet spirit and genuine heart, we decided to use the money to buy her a bed so she can sleep soundly and know the Lord has heard her prayers.
This was our plan. Wait until you hear what the Lord had planned.
So, full of determination to bless this woman, four of us (Ellen, Cherish, Moses our translator, and myself) charged through the village with hopes of finding a market with mattresses. We walked for a few miles passing many people along the way, laughing, and having a good time with each other. As we walked along, a family full of smiles called us over to their house. We had no plan to stop at this house, and we weren’t planning on ministering to anyone – we were simply having fun. We walked over to visit with them, taking hundreds of pictures and tickling the kids. While we were there filled with joy and having a good time, we figured we might as well ask the woman, who was the mother of the house, if she needed prayer for anything. Instantly, the woman shot her hands up into the air and starting rejoicing. She told us that 5 months prior she had a dream that three white angels came to visit her, praying over her, and giving her a Bible. She began clapping, hands lifted high, while praising the Lord. We couldn’t believe her excitement and that her dream was being fulfilled through us! How crazy is that? After our bellies hurt from laughing so hard and our minds shocked with how funny our Lord is, we decided to leave in search for our mattress – with a new addition of a Bible, which we knew we had to get for this lady. We left, and told the woman and her family that we would pass by on the way back to visit.
We continued on our journey into a nearby market in search for a mattress & a Bible. We figured while we were searching for a Bible for that lady, we should grab an extra copy for another woman who we had met the week before during ministry, who had also been praying for a Bible. We were not sure if we would even be able to find 2 bibles in the area we were in, as the market was quite simple and quite small. However, we were determined to find these items. More and more ideas for surprising different friends and strangers popped into our heads as we looked around, and we were almost exploding with joy at the thought of delivering these gifts.
Overall, we were able to purchase:
– 2 mattresses, 2 sets of sheets, & 2 pillows (for the woman who prayed for a bed)
– 2 bibles (one for the woman who saw us in her dream & one for the woman who prayed for a bible during door to door ministry – we found these perfectly conditioned bibles laying on a little blanket in the market, almost seeming like they were waiting for us when we got there)
– 2 dresses (we decided to buy a dress for each of the 2 cooks who live with our host family)
– Lots of bread, donuts, and goodies to hand out to each family along with their gifts.
After purchasing everything, we were feeling very productive and accomplished. Anticipation filled our hearts as we headed back up the steep hill into our tiny village that we called home for the month. The joy that filled each and every encounter was enough to keep my heart happy forever. Keep reading to find out how each family reacted to the Lord’s gifts:
Surprise #1: Delivering the Bible
We carried all our supplies through the fields to get back to the family who had a dream about the angels. We were so excited to deliver her bible and bread to make her dream come true. We didn’t see the family outside as they were earlier in the day, so we went around to the side of the house and looked through the door. The woman and her baby were sitting on the couch. As soon as she saw us, her face lit up. We said to her, “We came back to give you this bible. The Lord sees you and He hears your prayers. You are never alone, and now have the word of God to keep with you and read always.” We thought she would be happy, but happy was an understatement. She raised her hands, started stomping on the ground, and began crying out to the Lord thanking Him for His provision!!! She came up to me, hugged me, and started jumping up and down over and over again. She then hugged Ellen, and again started jumping like crazy. Finally, she hugged Cherish, and jumped up and down some more. Imagine the joy of the Lord that was filling that room!!! I’m telling you, my heart was pounding, and all I could do was promise the Lord I would NEVER look at my bible again the same, never taking for granted the blessing I have of owning my own copy. She escorted us out of her house to lead us on our way, while shouted “HALLELUJAH” and “AMEN” as we walked.
Surprise #2: Delivering the Mattress
We walked further up the hill to reach the house of the woman who had been praying for a mattress. She had no idea that we were coming, and we planned to surprise her with a full bed set. But when we got there, she was not home. In her place was a group of men standing outside of her house, along with her daughter. We asked the daughter if she would please call her mom to come and meet us. While we waited, we began talking to the men who stood outside, clearly intoxicated with alcohol. They began asking us questions about Jesus, mocking us, and making us feel dumb. They asked questions like, “Can you pray for me to stop drinking?”, as they took gulps of beer. I wondered in that moment how Jesus must have felt trying to bless someone while being mocked, judged, and made fun of. Honestly, my heart sank for the woman who lived there, being the only Christian in her family, and putting up with these men every day. I knew her faith must be strong to choose the Lord even when her family did not.
A random man walked through the yard and up to the front of the house, and introduced himself. He said he was a neighbor, saw us, and wanted to be sure we were okay. He was a teacher at a school and could speak perfect English. We talked for a little while, until we heard a moto approaching, knowing that the mom would be on the back arriving. The poor neighbor had no idea what he was getting himself into, and just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
The woman got off of her moto. She saw we had our cameras out, so she instantly started to fix her hair, completely oblivious that the mattresses were for her. Our translator told her, “The Lord has heard your prayers. These mattresses are for you to get a peaceful and sound sleep.” Oh, how I wish you could have been in this moment with us. Both of her hands shot up towards the sky. She turned right, and started praising the Lord. She turned left, and started praising the Lord. She turned backwards, and started praising the Lord. Her shouts filled the atmosphere, and tears started falling from her face. We all looked at each other in tears, and felt like we were dreaming watching someone filled with such joy. The vibe that those drunken men created a moment earlier was completely lifted as cries to the heavens replaced them. Her hands were shaking, and she insisted on praying a blessing over us. It was one of the most magical moments I have ever been able to witness.
Beyond this special encounter, two other things stood out to us in that moment. First of all, that random neighbor who just happened to stop by to check in with us immediately told us he would be joining our church. He wrote down the church address, and is now planning to attend regularly. Praise God!!!! On top of that, one of the drunk men and his wife called us over to pray over their unborn baby. Just moments earlier he was mocking us, and after was asking for our prayers. God changed the environment in that place! If you think of it though, please continue praying for the faith of this woman to remain strong, and for her family members to come to know the Lord!
Surprise #3: The Lord Sees Us
On our way back to our house to surprise our maids with our dresses, we walked by a small little shop. Outside of the shop were many people, but something amazing caught our eye. There was a man standing by a table who was wearing a shirt that said, “Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Hershey Company.” Next to that man, was a little boy. The boy was wearing a shirt that said, “DENVER.” Next to that little boy, was a woman. That woman had a shirt that had the initials “CK” written on it. ARE YOU READY FOR THIS? I am from Hershey, Pennsylvania as was written on the man’s shirt. Ellen is from Denver, Colorado, which was on the little boy’ shirt. And Cherish’s initials are “CK.” How can this be a coincidence? In the middle of a small village in Rwanda, Africa are small reminders of our hometowns. It was almost like the Lord was saying, “You are telling all these people that I hear their prayers and that I see them. But I see the three of you as well, and I also hear your prayers.” My mind was ready to explode.
Surprise #4: Delivering the Dresses
We got home, and found our two cooks and another guy who helps around the house (Maria, Maryanne, and Ram). We told them to close their eyes. With their eyes shut, we put their brand new dresses over them. When they opened their eyes, they were SO excited. They started dancing, and thanked us over and over again. They kept saying the God will bless us for blessing them. They even thought we took their measurements because their dresses fit perfectly – if they only knew that we spent an hour digging through piles of dresses in the market to find one that they could possibly fit in and love. This moment was the icing on the cake.
Beyond these surprises, we also were able to deliver the second bible to the other family who had been praying for one. We were also able to deliver bread and cakes to a family who lives in a shack nearby without much food.
ALL of this started with a gift, a blessing, a selfless act of sacrifice. I can confidently say that this was one of my favorite days of my life so far, and I’m hoping for many more of them. God is good! He hears YOUR prayers & His timing is perfect.
The best part about this day is that we were able to document and record several of their reactions. We are working on a special video to represent these women and families well, and we can’t wait to share it with you. Be on the lookout for the upcoming video! In the meantime, keep blessing those around you & keep praising the Lord for His provision.
Psalm 25: 1-3 says, “In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, not let my enemies triumph over me. No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.”
